The game of Blackjack is one of the most popular casino table games. It offers fast action and a relatively low house advantage for players as well as dependable income for the casino. However, the proliferation of casinos has created increased competition and a need for new games that generate interest and participation among casino patrons. As a result, casinos are constantly exploring new variations of blackjack with various side bets intended to increase the amounts wagered (sometimes referred to as increasing the player “action”). The casinos also try to retain the overall advantage in order to generate incremental income.
Many of these Blackjack games involve side bets based on the total or partial value of the dealer's hand, including side bets based on the final outcome of the dealer's hand. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,102 to Marks et al. discloses wagers on whether the value of the cards making up the dealer's hand will have a final value of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, an initial two card value of 21 or a bust on any given hand. Other prior art side bets are based on whether one or both of the dealer's initial two cards will have a certain value. However, the drawbacks associated with these side bets are that the player is offered the prospect of long odds and limited options. Moreover, these side bets are essentially one-hand bets—i.e., where the player either wins or loses the side bet based on the outcome of a single hand played. These inherent limitations involving blackjack side bets generally create limited interest from casino operators, as either the odds of winning these side bets are too long for casino patrons to play on a continual basis or there is simply a lack of interest generated by the underlying concept behind the side bet.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for playing a blackjack game that offers sustainable side bets that enhance the player's experience and bring new dimension to the underlying blackjack game. More particularly, there is a need in the art for working wagers that remain active over several hands of play.